1.01Introduction and Program Description

The Department of Health, Division of Behavioral Health (DBH), is requesting proposals from eligible applicants to provide Residential Care for Children and Youth (RCCY) services for the State of Alaska in FY2025 through FY2027. Program Services are authorized under 7 AAC 78 Grant Programs. Additional governing statutes are AS 47.40.011 Purchase of Services for Minors; AS 47.10 Children in Need of Aid; AS 47.12 Delinquent Minors; AS 47.14.100 Power and Duties of Department Over Care of Child; 7 AAC 50.100 Community Care Licensing. 7aac 139.0, Children’s Residential treatment. State of Alaska statutes and regulations are accessible at the Department of Law Document Library or through the contact person identified on the cover page of this Request for Proposals (RFP). 

RCCY program services are defined as 24-hour basic care and treatment of one or more children/youth who are not related by blood, marriage, or legal adoption to the facility's owner or operator. Facilities include those identified as group homes and facilities staffed by the applicant agency's employees. Facilities operating under this RCCY Program must follow State licensing requirements under 7 AAC 50.005 - 990 (Community Care Licensing). Children/youth placed in residential facilities can be in the legal custody of Division of Juvenile Justice (DJJ), Office of Children's Services (OCS), or in the custody of a parent or other legal guardian. 

Application Groups:

Clients/recipients of RCCY Children’s Residential Services (CRS) must present a demonstrated need for treatment received in a highly structured and supervised placement. These are children and adolescents who need intensive treatment and recovery services, and who have treatment needs that cannot be met in a less restrictive setting; have demonstrated an inability to adjust and progress in a family setting, therapeutic treatment home, or outpatient or other structured treatment placement; or completed a higher level of care and require a step-down level of care before returning to a community setting.

The number of awarded applicants will be restricted based on available funding. Please review the three application groups listed in section 1.03 carefully. Responding to the incorrect group may result in not being funded. It is the applicant's responsibility to submit a proposal to the correct group. 

Application Group 1 – CRT: For applicants providing services in both rural or urban communities in the state at Children’s Residential Treatment Levels 1 (CRT1), Level 2, (CRT2) Levels defined in attachment: Alaska Behavioral Health Provider Service Standards & Administrative Procedures for BH Provider Services (Effective February 2, 2024). Residential children’s services for children/youth may have primary mental, emotional and behavioral disorders and/or concurrent developmental disabilities that prevent them from functioning at developmentally appropriate levels in their homes, schools, or communities. Must not serve Adjudicated Sex offenders.

Application Group 2 – CRT-SO:  For applicants providing services to targeted children/youth who have primary mental, emotional and behavioral disorders and/or developmental disabilities that prevent them from functioning at developmentally appropriate levels in their homes, schools, or communities. For the purposes of this group, all clients served must also be adjudicated youth sex offenders. Services are sought at Children’s Residential Treatment Level 2, (CRT2) defined in attachment: Alaska Behavioral Health Provider Service Standards & Administrative Procedures for BH Provider Services (Effective February 2, 2024)  The target population for the services requested in this solicitation includes children/youth between the ages of 12 - 18 who are:

• Adjudicated sex offenders. 
• In DJJ custody and Alaska Medicaid Eligible, and in rare cases,
• Not in DJJ custody and Alaska Medicaid Eligible
• May require higher levels of supervision, structure within the level two program.

Only one applicant will be awarded for Group 2.  

Application Group 3 – CESP:  For Applicants providing Childrens Emergency Services Program: (Emergency shelter) CESP are short-term children’s emergency, crisis stabilization and assessment programs that provide a safe and structured placement for children or youth. These are services which are not provided under state Medicaid programs. Applicants must provide the Children’s Emergency Services Program (CESP) services in underserved remote communities, where the children do not require a demonstrated need for treatment to access services, but for safety or crisis response, and the service is not billable to Medicaid and is not part of the 1115 waiver level of services.

Only two applicants will be awarded for Group 3.

1.02Program Goals and Anticipated Outcomes

The proposed project must demonstrate a thorough understanding and support of the grant program goals and outcomes anticipated by the Department.

Proposals for Application Group 1 must include identification of an evidence-based program with a description of proposed activities that support the goals and outcomes to be employed in the project, including:

1. Describe the evidence-based and trauma informed interventions to be used.
2. How the agency will provide individualized services for youth with complex presentations, including youth who may experience a co-occurring developmental disability, Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD), or who have experienced complex trauma. Any related exclusionary policies must also be described.
3. Provide a staff training plan and describe staff retention plans.
4. Describe how the agency will facilitate engagement of primary family of youth served.
5. Describe the discharge planning process and how continuity of care will be supported for youth returning to their home community.

The anticipated outcome of the requested services is the successful completion of treatment, and the eventual integration of the youth back into their family and community of origin and culture with community supports in place. 

Proposals for Application Group 2 must, in addition to items 1-5 above, describe:

1. The specialized evidence based treatment program they will use.
2. How they will provide a higher level of structure and supervision for this population, and 
3. an assurance that they will not mix this population with other CRT youth.

The anticipated outcome of the requested services is the successful completion of an evidence-based youth sex offender treatment, and the eventual integration of the youth back into their family and community of origin and culture with community supports in place.

Proposals for Application Group 3 must:

1. Describe the referral sources and how referrals are received, screened and accepted. 
2. Describe any exclusionary policies.
3. Provide a staff training plan and describe staff retention plans.
4. Describe how the agency will facilitate engagement of primary family of youth served.
5. Describe the discharge planning process and how continuity of care will be supported for youth exiting to their next placement.

The applicants for all Application Groups also must include timeline(s) for activities in the attachment to their proposal, as follows:

• An agency operating a new program must provide a timeline including milestones and a detailed start-up plan, and a narrative that describes the schedule of program implementation -- from award issuance through the program's capacity to be in full operation before October 1st, 2024.
• An agency operating an existing program must provide a timeline identifying how they will implement any and all changes necessitated by this RFP before October 1st, 2024. 

Projects must meet or exceed anticipated minimum outcomes described in this RFP.

1.03Program Services/Activities

These specialized services are sought at Children’s Residential Treatment Level 1 and 2, (CRT 1,2) and CESP.

The operation of a residential care facility and the delivery of CRT1, CRT2, and CESP are governed by the following statutes and regulations, accessible at the following links:

• 7 AAC 50.005 - 990 (Community Care Licensing)
• 7 AAC 53.901 - 999 (Residential Child Care Facility Grants)
• 7 AAC 110.200-210 (Early/Periodic Screening, Diagnosis, and Treatment (EPSDT) Services Provided to Recipients Under 21 Years of Age) 
• 7 AAC 135 (Medicaid Coverage; Behavioral Health Services) 
• 7 AAC 135.130 (Clinical Record) 
• 7 AAC 139.300( Children’s Residential Treatment)
• 7 AAC 160.990(88) (Child Experiencing a Severe Emotional Disturbance) 
• AS 47.32 (Centralized Licensing and Related Administrative Procedures) 
• AS 47.40 (Purchase of Services for Minors) 

Applicants must meet the criteria outlined in statute and regulation and with regard to the following activities:

1. Acceptance of referrals
2. Admission requirements
3. Required approval for admitting a child or youth to a residential care facility
4. Basic care requirements
5. Required staff-to-child/youth ratios
6. Incident reporting
7. Suicide prevention
8. Discharge planning
9. Governance and administration
10. Staff qualifications, training and orientation
11. Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation qualifications
12. Medicaid enrollment
13. Medicaid services and other approved services
14. Use of the Individualized Services Provider Agreement (ISA)
15. Daily, monthly, quarterly, and other required reports

All facilities providing 24-hour residential childcare must deliver services at or above the basic care requirements of the level of care provided. Basic care for children or youth is planned, structured, and supervised by professionally trained staff. Behavioral management activities are provided by staff able to understand and perform assessments, and who can develop and perform planned interventions. Basic care services include working with either the biological, foster, or adoptive family to aid in the transfer of the child to their home or to an alternate permanent plan.

When appropriate, services will include the child's or youth's biological, adoptive, or foster family. Treatment focuses upon the needs of the individual child or youth, but the family must be involved during the treatment process. These services may be in conjunction with, or in support of, any other professional treatment the child/youth may be receiving as required by the diagnosed condition.

Basic services for children in residential care treatment must contain all elements common to all levels of residential care regardless of size, location, program category, or treatment modality. The elements include:

1. Provide access to medical, dental, psychiatric, and psychological evaluation and therapy as needed;
2. Assess each child/youth placed in care and ensure a health examination has been performed within a year prior to placement, or arrange for completion of a health exam within 30 days of placement;
3. After 30 days in placement, provide continuing medical and dental services according to the Early & Periodic Screening, Diagnostic & Treatment Program schedule set forth in 7 AAC 110.200 - 210;
4. Assist in preservation of child's biological or foster family's ties, and promote timely reunification, when appropriate;
5. Maintain children/youth as close as possible to their families, communities, and regions when planning subsequent care;
6. Provide healthy food, including healthy meal preparation and nutritional oversight;
7. Provide clothing as needed during the time in care and work with parents and guardians to meet these needs;
8. Provide personal incidentals including resident allowances and school supplies;
9. Provide daily supervision at a minimum as prescribed in 7 AAC 50.410 (Supervision of Children);
10. Provide vocational, educational, and employment services either in the community or through service agreements (providers are strongly encouraged to work with their local community behavioral health centers (CBHC's) to obtain assessments and continued care services);
11. Provide liability insurance with respect to the child's/youth's needs;
12. Provide administrative oversight of the program of care and services for residents as well as for management;
13. Provide appropriate personnel, fiscal, and staff supervision;
14. Provide intake, individual treatment planning, case review, resident supervision, counseling and discharge planning;
15. Develop and maintain linkages with providers of ancillary services such as medical care, education, and community mental health services;
16. Ensure compliance with individual treatment plan reporting and monitoring requirements;
17. Provide group recreation and informal educational activities as well as the equipment and personnel required to conduct such activities;
18. Provide tutoring and/or supervised study and learning for school-aged residents;
19. Provide youth aged 14 and older, who are in residential care for longer than three months, an appropriate Skills Assessment, utilizing assessment results in case planning to identify services to improve life skills. 

The RCCY program emphasizes the importance of transitional and continued care planning as part of grant and CRT Medicaid-covered services and is required of RCCY Program grantees. Transitional services include preparing the child/youth for transition from a residential setting to the next placement or release. Continued care includes development and delivery of individualized continued care and post-discharge plans designed to meet each resident's medical, psychological, social, behavioral, educational, and developmental needs during the ninety (90) days following discharge.

Within 30 days of award, the awarded applicant must provide a Continued Care Plan, which must include all of the following:

1. Supervision of medication by a licensed professional;
2. Referral to appropriate therapeutic services;
3. Placement in an age-appropriate living situation;
4. Liaison with the child's\youth's school to continue the appropriate education program; and
5. Coordination with the child's\youth's parents, Social Worker, or Juvenile Probation Officer to ensure appropriate placement supervision and other community services.

Applicants are encouraged to utilize the services of the Office of Children's Services (OCS) Independent Living Specialist, and other behavioral health providers in support and coordination of services if available in the provider's community (see Section 2.04 for more information)

Applicant proposals must describe the ways in which the project aligns with program intent as described in Section 1.01: program description. The submitted project proposal will identify agency resources available to the project, identify the evidence-based program utilized, describe project activities and clearly state the project’s anticipated goals, outputs, and outcomes.

1.04Program Evaluation Requirements and Reporting

Performance Measures

Projects are required to align with program objectives expressing Department priorities and core services. Projects will use performance measures to evaluate progress toward meaningful outcomes, and to initiate data collection and reporting consistent with Department priorities.

Performance Measures for FY25 have been determined by the Division of Behavioral Health as follows:

• Number of Children Served
• Number of Referrals for Service
• Disposition of Referrals (Accepted/Denied – Including Reason/Waitlisted)
• Number of Children Completing and Exiting Program
• Client/Family satisfaction with services

The applicant's proposed evaluation plan must incorporate the performance measures identified above. Applicants can propose additional performance measures for evaluating the project’s progress in achieving results supportive of program goals and outcomes. Proposal evaluation plan must identify how the measures are to be tracked.

Grant Reporting

Required reporting will include:

1. Cumulative Fiscal Reports recording overall grant and match expenditures by budget line; and
2. Program Reports in the format prescribed by the program.
3. CRT Providers must submit monthly and quarterly reports that provide information about services rendered and expenses incurred. Reports must be submitted in the format stipulated by the Department, the Grant Agreement and the Provider Agreement. 
4. Daily Population Report (Reported Via Email): In addition to the required reports specified above, all facilities are required to report changes to their facility population in response to the RCCY email sent daily to facility staff. The data is used to update the RCCY website: Residential Care for Children and Youth (RCCY) 
5. Quarterly Summary report generated from GEMS is to be submitted with quarterly reports.

Data Reports

Quarterly:

• Submission of the AKAIMS (Alaskans Automated Information Management System) minimum data set:  agencies funded through this program must agree to meet with the AKAIMS designee after award execution, and then annually for program alignment following award execution to meet AKAIMS requirements. The AKAIMS link is accessible from the DBH website.

Monthly:

• RCCY programs are required to submit Monthly Attendance Reports to DBH within five (5) days of the close of the previous month. As defined and required  by the provider agreement. Reports will indicate whether the child/youth was present and receiving Residential Care services. Attendance Reports must clearly indicate the total number of children/youth in attendance each day and the status of each using DBH attendance codes.

1.05Target Population and Service Area

Applicants must clearly describe the population targeted by the project, for the application group chosen, including the area or communities that will be served. Proposals will be evaluated for compatibility with the program’s intended target population identified in this solicitation.

Target Population: The target population for the solicited services includes children/youth between the ages of 12 - 18 who are: 

All Application Groups:

• In Department of Family and Community Services (DFCS) custody and Alaska Medicaid Eligible
• Not in DFCS custody and Alaska Medicaid Eligible
• Not in DFCS custody and not eligible for Alaska Medicaid and may be under 5 for emergency services.

The RCCY program is operated on an unconditional care model, and programs are not to discharge clients or refuse their placements unless the child has serious medical needs or presents an “imminent risk of harm to themselves or others” for which the provider is not qualified to respond under the level of care for which the program has entered into agreement.  Programs which refuse placement based on less stringent criteria, or discharge children from their program without successful completion of treatment, will be considered non-compliant with grant requirements which, under 7 AAC 78.290 (Suspension and Termination), may jeopardize the grantee’s award and future funding.

Application Group 1 - CRT 1 and 2:  Targeted children/youth have been diagnosed with primary mental, emotional and behavioral disorders and/or developmental disabilities that prevent them from functioning at developmentally appropriate levels in their homes, schools, or communities.  They may exhibit symptoms such as anti-social behaviors that require close supervision, intervention and structure; mental disorders with persistent non-psychotic or psychotic symptoms; drug and alcohol abuse; or sexual behavior problems that severely or chronically impair their ability to function in typical family, work, school, or other community roles. These are children and adolescents who need intensive treatment and recovery services, and who have treatment needs that cannot be met in a less restrictive setting; have demonstrated an inability to adjust and progress in a family setting, therapeutic treatment home, or outpatient or other structured treatment placement; or completed a higher level of care and require a step-down level of care before returning to a community setting.

Application Group 2 – CRT-SO:  All of the above requirements, and additionally for the purposes of this group, all clients served must also be adjudicated youth sex offenders.

Application Group 3- CESP: These are services which are not provided under state Medicaid programs. Applicants must provide the Children’s Emergency Services Program (CESP) services in underserved or remote communities, where the children do not require a demonstrated need for treatment to access services, but for safety or crisis response, and the service is not billable to Medicaid and is not part of the 1115 waiver level of services. Children/youth may be victims of severe family conflict and/or behavioral disturbances often resulting from substance abuse and/or mental illness of the parents.  These children/youth may have physical and mental birth defects from prenatal maternal alcohol use or alcohol-related neurological defects.  These children/youth may be medically compromised, or developmentally disabled children/youth not otherwise served by DBH.

Service Areas and Communities: The service areas and communities requested for the services solicited funding opportunity is open statewide.

1.06Program Funding

Funds available for this program are anticipated to total $2,000,000.00 per year in General Funds and $382,500.00 from Substance Abuse Block Grant; $7,147,500.00 for the three-year duration.

Children’s residential services in Alaska are supported with a variety of public funding mechanisms. For the purpose of this grant program, several funding mechanisms are relied upon for provision of services and to ensure individual children’s treatment related needs are met. RCCY awardees will rely on these three mechanisms:

1. Grant Agreements providing a core capacity daily rate of $50.00 for each bed /per day under RCCY services. The core capacity daily rate covers room and board costs that cannot be billed to Medicaid.
2. Provider Agreements that allow for non-Medicaid payment for Individualized Services for children and youth in, or in need of, potential residential care; children aged five and under; additional staffing expenses, and payments for beds to maintain the placement when a child/youth is away for an allowable reason. The Provider Agreement is mandatory for RCCY grantees, and awarded applicants will be required to provide a signed Provider Agreement and eligibility documents prior to execution of their award. Please refer to the attached Provider agreement template. The Provider Agreement will not be activated until the grant award is executed by the Department.
3. 1115 Medicaid Waiver and State Plan Medicaid services providing stabilization, treatment, early intervention, and development of appropriate coping skills upon the recommendation of a mental health professional within the scope of their practice within the law. These services are client-centered and can be provided within the residential care system either individually or in groups. Refer to AAC 135.

Match Requirement: The budget must include matching funds equal to 10.00% of the proposed Department funds. Calculate required match with the following formula.

Total Requested Grant Award x Required Match Percentage = Required Match

Federal grant funds may not be used to match federal funds awarded through this grant program, and State grant funds may not be used to match State funds awarded through this grant program.

Eligible sources of matching funds include:

• Local Cash: local sources, including local tax receipts, municipal revenue sharing, cash donations
• Local In-Kind:  donated items of value for which the applicant incurs no cost, including volunteer labor and donations of supplies, equipment, space
• Other Sources:  government and non-government grant awards, third party receipts, direct receipts such as gaming or sales of goods
• Grant Income: earnings anticipated as a result of this project proposal receiving award, and Medicaid reimbursements if award of this grant is required for the applicant to bill Medicaid for awarded services
• Medicaid: includes Medicaid which is not Grant Income, as well as other third-party receipts

Proposed Budget: The applicant must submit a budget proposal for the first fiscal year of the project. The proposed budget detail and narrative, including required match, will support the program's results-based service delivery and staffing requirements stated in this RFP.

The proposed budget will be fully compliant with the limitations described in this RFP, and those detailed in 7 AAC 78.160 (Costs). Regulations are provided under the GEMS Documents tab.

Resources specific to budgeting are also available under the GEMS Documents tab. The Department's Grant Budget Preparation Guidelines provide information and guidance about budget lines, cost detail groupings, and narrative requirements. Grantee User Manual Part I provides detailed instructions for entering a budget proposal in the chapter "Responding to a Solicitation."

Other Agency Funding: Prior to submitting a proposal, applicants are required to list all other agency funding received and applied for. This task must be completed by an Agency Power User in the Other Funding section of the Agency Administration tab. This is part of the pre-award risk assessment required under Uniform Guidance 2 CFR 200.

Indirect Costs: If the proposed budget includes indirect costs, 7 AAC 78.160(p) requires a copy of the agency's current federally approved Indirect Cost Rate Agreement. The agreement is to be uploaded in the Agency Administration tab. Lapsed agreements can be used if uploaded with the negotiating federal agency's written approval to continue using the rate until a new agreement is negotiated. If an agency has never entered into a federally approved Indirect Cost Rate Agreement or no longer has a federally approved agreement in place, the recently updated Federal Uniform Guidance 2 CFR 200 now allows that agency to budget the 10% De Minimis.

Payment for Services/Grant Income: If applicable to the services proposed in response to this solicitation, awarded grantees will have a Medicaid Provider Number or apply to obtain one, and will make reasonable effort to bill all eligible services to Medicaid and any other available sources of payment before seeking grant support for delivery of the proposed services. Department funds are the payer of last resort.

In the applicant’s proposed budget, anticipated receipts and expenditures for all grant income must be evident in the detail and narrative. Fiscal reports for awarded income generating projects will include the receipts and expenditure of all grant income.

Grant Award Budget/Core Capacity

Applicants must propose project award amounts calculated by taking the total number of beds for the project, multiplied by $50.00 per day, multiplied by 365 days in the FY25 period of award. For example, a proposal for a ten-bed project would include an award budget of 5 x $50 x 365, or $182,500. 

Core capacity funding may support contracted personal services staff in accordance with Alaska Behavioral Health Provider Service Standards & Administrative Procedures for BH Provider Services (Effective February 2, 2024) with prior written approval from the RCCY Program Manager. Core capacity funds cannot be utilized to fulfill contracts above $3,000 without prior written approval from the RCCY Program Manager.

Provider may seek CRT reimbursement through Medicaid billing, at the rates as identified in Alaska Behavioral Health Provider Service Standards & Administrative Procedures for BH Provider Services (Effective February 2, 2024).

2.01Agency Experience

Proposal evaluation will include consideration of the applicant’s history of compliance with service and grant requirements, and previous experience in providing the same or similar services. Evaluation may include Department site reviews, program audits, and confirmation of the successful resolution of any findings. This is part of the pre-award risk assessment required under Uniform Guidance 2 CFR 200.

The applicant must describe previous experience providing services the same or similar to those proposed. The description must clearly identify the time period over which services were provided and the target population served.

A brief history must be included that demonstrates both sustainable fiscal and administrative capability and responsibility.

2.02Project Staffing

Project staffing must meet staffing requirements identified in Alaska Behavioral Health Provider Service Standards & Administrative Procedures for BH Provider Services (Effective February 2, 2024) and be sufficient to implement the proposed activities in order to meet program goals and the anticipated outcomes.

Applicants must provide job descriptions demonstrating that the agency has capacity to manage the program. Also included in this attachment, applicants must provide job descriptions for each position funded through grant revenue, as well as one-page resumes for all supervisory staff. This is part of the pre-award risk assessment required under Uniform Guidance 2 CFR 200. 

All levels of CRT in conjunction with the RCCY core capacity grant program must employ or must otherwise include the services of a Mental Health Professional to provide consultations and training to staff, client assessment, and treatment planning.  Service activities and supervision for each child are based on an assessment and individual treatment plan that is monitored for beneficial behavioral changes in the child's life and effectiveness in reducing the need for supervision, rehabilitation services, and residential care. 

All staff having contact with children or youth in residential care must meet all statutory, regulatory and licensing requirements for staff.  The general staff qualifications for residential child/youth care CRT and CESP Providers are updated annually, and are presently available at the links provided below:

• 7 AAC 50.210, Qualifications and Responsibilities of Persons Having Regular Contact with Children in a Facility 
• 7 AAC 50.220-250, Caregiver Age Requirements and Additional Staff Qualifications in Residential Childcare Facilities and Additional Qualifications for Adolescent Caregivers
• 7 AAC 10.900 - 7 AAC 10.990, Barrier Crimes, Criminal History, Checks, and Centralized Registry 
• AS 47.05.300 - 47.05.390, Criminal History Registry

In addition to these general staff qualifications, the Medicaid CRT requirements for minimum staff qualifications are as listed in the Alaska Behavioral Health Provider Service Standards & Administrative Procedures for BH Provider Services (Effective February 2, 2024).

Unless otherwise specified, awake night staff ratios shall be 12:1. A child of a staff member will be counted in any staff-to-child ratio required by this RFP if the child resides in the facility.

Applicants must include a description of the agency’s employee orientation process, the staff training plan (including training for special populations served), and how both orientation and training are accomplished for staff in outlying service areas.  Applicants receiving awards can receive training through the RCCY Training Grant at no cost to the RCCY/CRT grantee.

2.03Administrative, Management, and Facility Requirements

The applicant must demonstrate the agency's sustainable fiscal and administrative capacity. Executive, administrative, and financial staff must be qualified, as indicated by the resumes of position holders uploaded as an element of the proposal. This is part of the pre-award risk assessment required under Uniform Guidance 2 CFR 200.

1. The applicant must ensure procedures are in place to protect client confidentiality compliant with State and federal standards.
2. The applicant must ensure its most recent financial audit was submitted to the appropriate state office (see Audit Requirements below), and any findings identified have been resolved.

Awarded proposers will be required to submit additional agency information if the agency GEMS record is not current.

Audit Requirements:

Federal Requirements: Agencies spending $750,000 or more total Federal Financial Assistance in the agency fiscal year may be required to comply with conditions of the Single Audit Act of 1984, P.L. 98-502, as amended by the Single Audit Act Amendments of 1996, P.L. 104-156, and as defined in 2 CFR 200.

State Requirements: Agencies spending $750,000 or more total State Financial Assistance in the agency fiscal year are required to comply with the conditions of 2 AAC 45.010-090. The current regulations may be viewed at the State of Alaska, Department of Law website, Department of Law Document Library, or copies may be obtained from the contact identified on the cover page of the RFP.

Information on State and Federal Single Audit Acts compliance may be obtained from:

State Single Audit Coordinator
Department of Administration
Division of Finance
PO Box 110204
Juneau, AK 99811-0204
Telephone: (907) 465-4666
Fax: (907) 465-2169

Department of Health Program Audit Requirements: All DOH grantees are subject to the requirements of 7 AAC 78.230. If awarded, agencies which are not required to file State Single Audits under 2 AAC 45.010 must ensure a fiscal audit of the agency operations under the grant program is performed by an independent, licensed, certified public accountant at least once every two years and submitted to:

State of Alaska Department of Health
Finance and Management Services
Audit Section
PO Box 110602
Juneau, AK  99811-0602
Telephone: (907) 465-3120

Facility, Service Access, and Safety:

1. The applicant must address potential safety concerns for clients and staff in the management of services proposed in response to this RFP.
2. The applicant should describe client accessibility to services and the way in which that will enhance project success.
3. All applicants for Department grants should have a written plan for emergency response and recovery that provides for potential safety concerns and the safe evacuation of clients and staff. This plan is mandatory for agencies providing residential and/or critical care services as noted in the State Grant Assurances.

2.04Support/Coordination of Services

Applicants must demonstrate the proposed project has the necessary support and coordination for the successful delivery of services. The proposal must address the following:

1. Community support where services are proposed;
2. Involvement of the public and potential service recipients in the planning process;
3. Partnerships and collaborations specific to the proposed project; and
4. Coordination with necessary referring agencies and the role of each described.

Applicants must coordinate with partners necessary to provide adequate supports to the clients served through their proposed project.  The proposal must include a list of agencies and identify the relevant contact persons within those agencies who will be providing resources necessary to the effective delivery of proposed services.  CESP children ages 0 to 4 are required to obtain a letter of agreement with their local Infant Learning Program to establish a protocol for referral and assessment if available, or otherwise obtain a letter of agreement with the local Office of Children's Services. 

The proposal must include tangible demonstration of necessary partnerships and cooperative agreements as attachments to the proposal. A Memoranda of Agreement, which must be current and specifically address the services to be provided in this program, must be included in the uploaded agency attachments in GEMS.  Applicants also are encouraged to document coordination with the Office of Children’s Services, the Family Preservation Program, the Infant Learning Program, and Behavioral Health grantees.  Applicants are encouraged to provide evidence of strong collaboration in these areas.  These programs provide additional services and support and should be sought when appropriate for children and youth in care.

3.01Eligibility

Applicants must be eligible to apply under 7 AAC 78.030 (Eligible Applicants). Eligible applicants are state agencies; political subdivisions of the state such as cities, organized boroughs, and Regional Educational Attendance Areas; nonprofit organizations and consortia of nonprofits; and Alaska Native entities. As follows, eligibility will be verified by Grants and Contracts.

1. Political subdivisions of the state and Regional Educational Attendance Areas will be verified by State records.
2. Eligible nonprofits are listed in the State's database of registered nonprofit entities or the US Internal Revenue Service's register of tax-exempt organizations. Nonprofit subsidiaries of nonprofit corporations must also provide a letter from the parent organization confirming nonprofit status.
3. Alaska Native entities as defined in 7 AAC 78.950(1) must submit, with the application, a legally binding resolution waiving the entity's sovereign immunity to suit through the duration of the program, identified in RFP Subsection 3.05. The resolution must be authorized in compliance with the tribe's constitution, either by the tribal council or by majority vote of the tribal membership. The required template is provided at Subsection 4.02, Other Technical Requirements.

Federal Funding Accountability and Transparency Act (FFATA): In accordance with 2 CFR Chapter 1, Part 170 Reporting Sub- Award And Executive Compensation Information, reporting is required of any grant award with federal funding equal to or greater than $30,000. FFATA is intended to hold the federal government accountable for spending decisions. Accountability data is available to the public at U.S. Government spending. Reporting requirements extend to recipients of State-issued awards with federal funds. An Agency Power User must complete the FFATA form under Federal Reporting in the GEMS Agency Administration tab. The report data will reflect the audited figures of the agency's most recently completed fiscal year. The report captures expenses and executive compensation for your agency. More information regarding FFATA requirements can be found at Federal Funding Accountability and Transparency Act Subaward Reporting System.

Effective April 4th, 2022, the US Federal Government transitioned from the Dun & Bradstreet Data Universal Numbering System (DUNS) number to a System for Award Management (SAM) generated Unique Entity Identifier (UEI) alpha-numeric value for federal awards management. All grantees receiving awards with federal funds are required to have a UEI. More information regarding this transition can be found on the U.S. General Services Administration.

The Grants Electronic Management System (GEMS) has been updated to include fields for both the DUNS nine-digit number and the UEI twelve-digit alpha-numeric value under the General section of the Agency Administration tab. An Agency Power User must confirm the current UEI number is listed in GEMS. The DUNS number will continue to be displayed in GEMS until further notice.

Applicant agency GEMS records must contain the agency's current State of Alaska Business License number, and a current governing board roster which includes titles, contact information, and terms of office for each seat. The roster must include emergency contact information outside the applicant agency for one or more officers.

Grants and Contracts will verify neither the applicant agency nor its principals are presently debarred, suspended, proposed for debarment, declared ineligible, or voluntarily excluded from receiving grant assistance from any State or federal department or agency. If an agency or its principals are excluded from receiving grant assistance, the proposal may not be considered.

If this grant program includes Federal funding, effective November 12, 2020 Federal Uniform Guidance 2 CFR 200 requires that agencies be registered on the System for Award Management (SAM) website at System for Award Management (SAM). If an applicant is recommended for award and is not registered on this site, the offered award will not be executed, and funds will not be issued until agency registration is confirmed.

Applicants who have had a contract or grant to help produce this RFP are not eligible to apply and any submitted proposal will not be considered.

3.02Acceptance of Terms

By submitting a proposal, an applicant accepts all terms and conditions of this RFP including all identified attachments and guidelines, 7 AAC 78, and any other applicable statutes and regulations. Copies of these may be accessed through the contact person identified on the cover page or through the web address(es) identified in this RFP.

If a grant is awarded, this RFP and the applicant’s proposal become part of the grant agreement. The applicant will be bound by the provisions contained in the awarded proposal unless the Department agrees that specific parts of the proposal are not part of the agreement.

Proposals and other materials submitted in response to this RFP become the property of the State and may be returned only if the State allows. Proposals are public documents and may be inspected or copied by anyone after grants have been awarded.

3.03Inquiries

Applicants should immediately review this RFP for defects and questionable or confusing content. Questions that can be answered by directing the applicant to a specific section in the RFP may be answered verbally by the contact person identified on the RFP cover page. Questions that cannot be answered by directing an applicant to a specific section of the RFP may be declared substantive. The applicant will be directed to submit the question in writing to the contact person at the email address on the cover page no later than the Deadline for Written Inquiries, also identified on the cover page. This will allow issuance of any necessary amendments and/or clarifications to all prospective applicants.

Applicants are responsible for monitoring GEMS or the State’s Online Public Notices website (Online Public Notices) for any clarifications or amendments that may be issued regarding this solicitation.

Proposals will not be accepted after 3:59 PM prevailing local time on the due date identified on the cover page.

3.04Proposal Costs and Content

The Department will not be responsible for any expenses incurred by the applicant prior to the authorized grant performance period. All costs of responding to this RFP are the responsibility of the applicant.

The applicant is responsible for the content of the proposal.

3.05Duration

This RFP is for a three-year period, beginning 7/1/2024 through 6/30/2027. At the discretion of the Department, a project funded under this RFP may be considered for continued funding in subsequent program year(s). The annual decision to continue funding for the subsequent year(s) of the three -year grant cycle is based on the following general conditions:

1. the Department's judgment that there is a continued need for the grant project service;
2. the grantee's satisfactory performance during the previous grant year;
3. the availability of sufficient grant program funds, and whether continuation of the financing is consistent with public health and welfare; and
4. the ability of the grantee and the Department to agree on any adjustments in payments or service.

Applicants will submit a budget proposal for year one of the grant only. Funding in each subsequent year will require submission and approval of documents needed to update service plans, evaluation measures, and budgets. Grants and Contracts will notify grantees of specific submission requirements necessary to qualify for consideration of continued funding.

This RFP is for fiscal year FY2025, 7/1/2024 through 6/30/2027.

3.06Proposal Review

Following the deadline for receipt of proposals, no revisions will be accepted unless provided in response to a request from the contact person named in this RFP. Proposals will be reviewed as follows:

1. Proposals will be evaluated in a manner that will avoid disclosure of contents before notices of grant award have been issued.
2. Department of Health staff will evaluate each proposal for minimum responsiveness and other technical requirements and eliminate nonresponsive proposals from consideration.
3. Using the criteria set out in this RFP and 7 AAC 78.100 (Criteria for Review of Proposals), Department staff will evaluate each responsive proposal. Scores for each criterion will be based solely on the response to the associated question. Points will not be earned if the information was provided in response to another question in Section 4. Department staff will also review relevant departmental documentation regarding the applicant. Staff recommendations regarding awards and levels of funding will include consideration of the following:
   1. a history of the applicant's compliance with grant requirements, to include records of program performance, on-site program reviews, and prior year audits;
   2. priorities in applicable State health and social services plans;
   3. requirements of applicable State and federal statutes; and
   4. municipal ordinances or regulations applicable to the grant program.

If there are multiple responsive proposals for which there is insufficient money to fully fund, or supplementary expertise is deemed necessary to the review of proposed services, the Department may appoint a Proposal Evaluation Committee (PEC) as an additional advisory body. PEC members will initially evaluate proposals, independently of other committee members. As a committee the PEC will meet in a closed session (7 AAC 78.090 Review of Proposals) to further review proposals and develop recommendations. Scores will be assigned based on the applicant's response to each individual question and the associated criteria. Applicants will not earn points for a given question based on a response to another question in the RFP. The PEC review will include discussion of each proposal’s merits. PEC recommendations will rank proposals in priority order and include approval or disapproval for award, modifications to the proposed project, and special compliance conditions.

All staff advisory recommendations and, if applicable, those of the PEC, and all review materials will be submitted for consideration by the Division Director, who will make recommendations to the Commissioner of the Department of Health or the Commissioner's designee.

3.07Final Decision Authority

Recommendations are advisory only, including those from any PEC that may be held. The final decision to approve or disapprove award, the amount of each award, and whether to impose special conditions or modifications rests with the Commissioner or Commissioner's designee.

NOTE: The final decision may include additional considerations, such as a lack or duplication of services in certain locations, or alternative services that may be available; a critical need for services by vulnerable populations; and matters of health, life and safety. The Department has the responsibility to ensure public monies are utilized in a manner that protects the interests of the people of the State and retains the right to make final awards that ensure responsible distribution of grant funds.

3.08Notification of Grant Award and Appeals

Within fifteen (15) days after the decision regarding grant awards, applicants will be notified of the final funding decisions, and, if awarded, any conditions of award or modifications. Following any necessary negotiations for revisions to the proposed budget and scope of services, successful applicants will be issued a grant agreement. This formal agreement will contain specific performance and reporting requirements consistent with Department policy and procedure and 7 AAC 78.

Per 7 AAC 78.305 (Request for Appeal), an applicant may appeal a final grant award decision. Requests for hearing must be addressed to the Commissioner and received in writing at the address below within 15 days after the applicant receives notification of the decision. The request must contain the reasons for the appeal and must cite the law, regulation, or terms of the grant upon which the appeal is based.

With a copy to the contact identified on the solicitation cover page, send appeal to:

Heidi Hedberg, Commissioner
Department of Health
3601 C Street, Suite 902
Anchorage, Alaska 99503-5923

3.09Cancellation of the RFP/Termination of Award

Contingent upon funding appropriations and the Governor's approval, the Department may fund proposals from eligible applicants. The Department may withdraw this RFP at any time and reserves the right to refrain from making an award when such action is deemed to be in the best interest of the State. Funds awarded for a grant as a result of this RFP may be withheld and the grant terminated by written notice from the State to the grantee at any time for violation by the grantee of any terms or conditions of the grant award, or when such action is deemed to be in the best interest of the State.

4.01Minimum Responsiveness Criterion per 78.100(2)(A)

Proposals that fail to meet the minimum responsiveness requirements below will be eliminated from consideration per 7 AAC 78.090(b)(2).

4.02Other Technical Requirements per 7 AAC 78.060, 78.090(b) and 78.100

Response & Organizational Documentation

4.03History of Compliance with Grant Requirements per 7 AAC 78.100(2)(B)

4.04Questions and Criteria Related to Program Policy, Goals, Outcomes, and Activities

4.05Applicant Qualifications - Criteria Relating to Personnel, Management, and Facilities

4.06Demonstration of Support/Coordination of Service